May begins to feel good…

The days are now starting to get a little longer and the extra hours of light means that the work day is also getting longer.  Planting, tilling, watering, seeding, harvesting, it’s all in play now!  There is much to report so I’ll not dilly dally.  

Up in the “Big Top” field we are carving up new ground and there is now has over 20,000 kale (four types), collard greens, bok choy, and broccoli plants in the ground.  We have only just begun, soon it’s gonna be truly epic up there. The sugar snap peas in the driveway field (almost an acre’s worth) have really jumped after we got to irrigating and feeding them – usually no need as the ground is traditionally wet still from the winter snow and April showers.  Since it has barely rained in a month we have had to start all our watering much earlier this year.  Ugh.  The lettuce, arugula, beets, and braising mix in the East Street stand field have also been suffering a little from the lack of water but that field has more clay based soil and keeps moisture longer then the other, more sandy, fields at the farm, so they are hanging in there.  Rain will come this week.  Our first waves radishes, broccoli raab, and asian greens which were planted very early will soon be ready for harvest and some needed market revenue.  

The farmers markets we attend mostly start in June but this past weekend was the official opener for the Wooster Square  market in New Haven.  Though it is a market we attend all year round, cold rain and snow be damned (!), the glorious weather and return of the farms who do not attend the winter market made for a great start to the new summer season.  It was gorgeous out and the people were primed to get out and enjoy.  City Seed is the non profit who oversee the markets in New Haven once again did a stellar job getting the word out and the place was packed for the first time since last Thanksgiving.   It was good to see old friends and meet some new farmers and food purveyors, and make some cash…

So what are we selling right now you may be wondering.  Well, as usual, we have our line of killer food products  and those have been selling briskly all winter long.  But we have been doing a lot of ramping the past few weeks and it is awesome.  We have a nice patch (luckily) and the price is right.  Also, we have an amazing crop of fall planted King Richard leeks which Jed and Q put into raised beds in one of our greenhouses.  The results have been spectacular.  Long and delicate, these sweet leeks are a delicacy.  You can mix with the ramp (a wild leek) if you are feeling decadent.  We have also been taking cut flowers (fields full of daph’s) as well a forsythia.  Amazing, people will not think twice about paying for something they are gonna look at, but will b*tch about the cost of your arugula or leeks.  But that’s another post…

So, thats where we are at.  The CSA program is still a long month out and there is so much to do it’s silly.  But we are on it.  Q and jed have been really busting their asses the past month, as have Dana and JC (and the Taft crew, too).  It is gonna be a killer season.  Hope you can join us for the ride.